I am very excited to announce that my youngest one has turned one and that it has therefore been a year since my recovery. Although I sometimes found things to be happening painstakingly slowly, they did happen nevertheless: I took the kids to France without their dad, went back to work and sewed my own skirt.

I’m ready to take on 2016… and also looking forward to going back to the South of France in April:-)

I don’t get to read many books these days but an old friend inspired me to at least compile a list of books I would recommend. Being an avid reader herself I tried to stay clear of choices that were too obvious. This is what I came up with during coffee break. Susy, this list is for you:

Novecento by Alessandro Baricco: beautifully written. Plus easy enough to read even if your Italian has become a bit rusty

The secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd: I just love the cool female characters of this story. I do wish I had known them as a teenager. And yes… I would have probably called our firstborn May or June if Chris had let me. The book is so much better than the film. The same goes for The Help

Their eyes were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Ok, this is kind of obvious but since it is my all time favourite it made it on the list anyway

The rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch: this is Chris’ favourite at the moment. A funny fantasy novel set in London; “it’s like, if Harry Potter grows up and joins the Metropolitain Police Force”

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion: I have been reading the Rosie Project since Christmas. I quite liked the first five pages…

After two insanely busy and turbulent months during which at least one of us ended up with flu or other ailings we are now looking forward to some days off during the Swiss ski and carnival season. Who knows, we might even take Joker for a longer ride to the mountains and introduce little Buddha to some action in the snow. Either way, we will definitely take some time off. Oh.. and we just had it confirmed that grandma Annie will come over to visti. Always nice to have you Annie:-). The weather was great today and I somehow longingly watched the sun going down while preparing my lessons for tomorrow. At least, my classroom has got quite a lovely view…

The Maldives, Barcelona and Bali… – all these destinations might be tempting but do not hold up to our yearly trip to – wait for it – the pond. The pond is, well, a pond, situated in a lovely part of France, the Alsace which is in front of our doorstop really. Our friends Tina and Steve have been organising this annual camping weekend for years. I simply can’t remember how often I have attended. There is the typical pond crowd, friends that come every year but there are always new faces, too. Gradually the place has been populated with kids who spend their time with swimming, boat-rowing, eating and playing. Well, actually adults do that, too. We were really excited to introduce Little Buddha to our most favourite holdiay spot. Turns out she already possesses proper camp spirit:-)

Also, this year we didn’t rock up with a tent, no, we were able to introduce Joker to the pond. A VW van has some advantages over a simple tent. First and foremost, I hate to admit it, I have a reached an age where a night on a hard tent floor stays with me, or rather my back and neck for the following months to come. Second, and I hate to admit this too, a van spares me from having to set up and strike a tent which has never been one of my strongest points. The last point I will mention here is that we just love hanging out in the van, and this includes Little Buddha, too.

My favourite time of day is early in the morning when the water of the pond is still very peaceful and most people are still asleep. It’s the best time for a swim really. Well, to be honest, not everyone swims in it. (I.e. Chris who doesn’t swim in a pond he fishes). For the fishermen amongst my readers, the fish in there are carp, but quite small ones, up to 15 pounds. (I double-checked with Chris;-)) Which brings me to the question that some of you might want to be answered: yes, Chris did catch a fish.

The highlights of this year were:

– a massive thunder storm on Sunday morning and a cosy cup of tea thereafter in our van
– a cosy evening with a romantcally lit pond thanks to Grisu:-)
A big thank you to Tina and Steve for this great weekend!
Do you have some favourite holiday spots, too? Please share!

After two great weeks in the UK staying with the world’s best grandma, a new entertainment programme for Little Buddha was needed. We therefore introduced two new activities into little one’s schedule: rooftop bathing and lake swimming.

We had a wonderful time in the UK. It was great to meet up with family and friends. Come and visit soon!

… the newest addition to our family: a VW Joker Camper Van, Westfalia, 1985. We’ve been talking about it for years and decided that the time was ripe. After a couple of breakdowns, a very cold night in the rooftop and some cosy cups of coffee we’ passed the rites of passage. And the best thing: Little Buddha loves Joker, too.